


some flowers on earth, and all the stars in the sky

by sophia_sol



Category: Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Families of Choice, Fix-It, Gen, platonic Convent Husbands a little
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-30
Updated: 2014-03-30
Packaged: 2018-01-17 14:45:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1391557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophia_sol/pseuds/sophia_sol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cosette worried about Fauchelevent too, and during her free hour would often hover over him to anxiously tell him that he was surely feeling better today; and Fauchelevent would always agree.</p>
            </blockquote>





	some flowers on earth, and all the stars in the sky

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sarah1281](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarah1281/gifts).



> thanks as always to my beta, sentientcitizen

As Fauchelevent's joints grew less and less reliable, Valjean took over an increasing quantity of the work in the convent garden. The job of protecting and encouraging innocent growth was soothing for Valjean, but he often worried about Fauchelevent. Cosette worried greatly too, and during her free hour would often hover over him to anxiously tell him that he was surely feeling better today; and Fauchelevent would always agree.

He was still able to hobble about some, slow as he was, and he enjoyed the way Cosette followed him about as he worked carefully in the garden. He pointed out to her the characteristics of each plant, how to tell which plants were wanted, how much water and sunlight each was happiest with, when to plant and when to harvest, and she followed along with fascination, piping up frequently with questions. And when Fauchelevent's aches grew too great, Cosette ran to fetch a stool so he could rest in the sunlight, Cosette stretched out happily on the earth beside him.

One cold day in early spring, Valjean helped Fauchelevent to a meeting with the prioress. It was time for Fauchelevent to retire from his position; he could no longer do any work. But what would then become of him?

Valjean had already determined that for Cosette's sake he needed to leave the convent so she could have an experience of life beyond those solemn walls. He now decided that he must also repay Fauchelevent's kindness in saving him. Fauchelevent would join them, and Valjean would care for him.

The sisters found a new gardener: a sturdy middle-aged woman with no religious calling and a strong taste for silence. When she was questioned for suitability she spoke almost as little as Valjean had, years ago, but her answers were good. And so the convent said farewell to the gardeners who had served them faithfully for years.

"I am lucky to have such a brother," Fauchelevent often said, after they were settled in their new home on Rue Plumet. "And such a niece," Cosette would add teasingly, and Fauchelevent always agreed. In fact he was lucky, for Cosette looked after him assiduously, helping him graciously through all the indignities that come with infirmity.

Valjean's taste for privacy kept them close to home, but Fauchelevent encouraged Valjean and Cosette to leave him each day for a pleasant walk in the park; "For," he said, "I depend upon you to enjoy the fine weather and fine views for me, so that you might tell me of them."

At first Cosette spent much time enthusiastically describing to Fauchelevent the beautifully cultivated flowers and trees of the garden, some familiar but many new to her, and all in excellent condition; but soon she began to describe the people too - there were so many people, in such infinite variety, and Cosette was fascinated by them.

Fauchelevent loved to hear Cosette talk, so he encouraged her descriptions of the people she saw. There were some people she saw often, people who had a fondness for the same park as she and Valjean, and she always told Fauchelevent with pleasure when something unusual happened to one of them - a new baby, an unexpected look of distraction and hurry, an improvement in dress. Once she had great fun minutely describing a young man in well-made but shabby clothes with a desperately awkward air, whom she had never seen before, and soon he too became a regular and expected presence on her walks.

Fauchelevent asked about these people sometimes, if Cosette hadn't mentioned them in a while. Sometimes it was only that they were so dully predictable that there had been nothing to say, but sometimes they were gone. Cosette and Fauchelevent enjoyed discussing the mysteries of these people together, conspiring to come up with satisfying explanations of what might have happened to them.

One day Fauchelevent realized Cosette had not said anything about the awkward young man in months, so he asked whether she still saw him. Cosette looked calmly back and readily said, like she had about many other people in the past, that he still frequented the park, yes.

But to his astonishment Fauchelevent thought he saw a hint of a blush on her cheeks this time. The little girl of the convent was growing up, he thought knowingly, and he smiled as he asked for more details.


End file.
